The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum announced today candidates for the 2008 Doak Walker Award. The award is presented annually to the nation's top college running back.

UCLA's Kahlil Bell, who rushed for 795 yards and five touchdowns last season prior to being injured in the eighth game of the year, is one of two Pac-10 backs on the list.

The field of candidates includes the nation's leading returning rusher, Eugene
Jarvis, from Kent State. Other candidates include the leading returning rushers from the Big 10 (Chris Wells, Ohio State); the Big 12 (Marlon Lucky, Nebraska); and the SEC (Knowshon Moreno, Georgia).

The complete list of candidates, who were nominated by their universities,
follows:

The Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will select the
semifinalists on November 10, and the Doak Walker Award National Selection
Committee will cast votes to determine the finalists, who will be announced on
November 24. The committee will cast a second vote beginning on December 1 to
determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee consists of former NFL
All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members and selected special
representatives.

The recipient of the 2008 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on
ESPN on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards on Thursday,
December 11. The Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet will be held at The
Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, February 6, 2009.
The award, in its 19th year, is named for SMU's three-time All-America
running back Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all
candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one
year of other students of the same classification.